This invention relates to an apparatus for deploying and locating on a templet a plurality of twisted pairs of wires and separating or untwisting portions of each pair. The embodiment of the invention described below comprises a simple bench mounted apparatus which separates or deploys the individual twisted pairs in a cable and untwists the end portion of each twisted pair. After such deployment and untwisting, the individual wires in the several twisted pairs can be subjected to further operations such as soldering to terminal posts or having terminals crimped thereon. As will be explained below, however, the principles of the invention can be used under a wide variety of circumstances, for example, in automatic cable making machines.
The conductors used for signal transmission in the telephone industry and elsewhere are usually in the form of twisted wire pairs which are often contained in a cable. When the conductors in a cable are to be connected to a junction block or to a multi-contact electrical connector, it is necessary to separate the several twisted pairs of wire from each other and untwist a portion of each pair so that the two wires of each pair can be worked on and subjected to the operation which is to be carried out. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,853,156 and 3,884,276 discloses known apparatus for untwisting the two wires of a twisted wire pair. The apparatus shown in these patents operates on only a single twisted pair during each operating cycle and these apparatus are moreover intended for rather special uses.
The instant invention is directed to the achievement of an apparatus which can separate and deploy a plurality of twisted pairs of wires in a cable and simultaneously untwist a portion of each twisted wire pair so that the two wires of the pair will be separated from each other. The invention makes use of principles for separating and deploying wires as disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,013 and the instant invention has the added capabilities of untwisting the wires in the twisted wire pairs.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus for handling a plurality of twisted pairs of wires and preparing the twisted pairs for operations such as terminal crimping, wire-wrapping or soldering. A further object is to provide an apparatus for deploying and positioning a plurality of twisted pairs of wires in spaced-apart relationship and untwisting a portion of each twisted wire pair. A further object is to provide an apparatus which can be used in cable making machines to separate a plurality of twisted wire pairs and untwist a portion of each pair in preparation for installation of a multi-contact connector on the untwisted wire pairs.